PLEASE READ - I can no longer recommend the M3 Real / M3i Zero flashcarts, nor can I recommend the TouchPod or M3 Sakura firmware anymore. Since M3i Zero was revised to GMP-Z003, it has locked out most custom firmware (such as WoodM3), effectively destroying any chance of the flashcart ever receiving any third-party support from independent coders. The M3 team is no longer active; the firmware was updated for the last time in early 2011. The M3 Real doesn't work on the 3DS, and apparently neither does the M3i Zero. Many of the previously-working features no longer function properly, and most ROMs released after March 2011 won't run on M3 Sakura or TouchPod anymore unless the ROM itself is pre-patched. There won't be any more support for this card.

For anyone considering getting an M3i Zero, save yourself some headache and get yourself an Acekard 2i with akAIO instead. It's way cheaper than any of the M3 cards and it has much better support (Normmatt and Smiths are boss). You can even get the full M3 Sakura experience on the Acekard 2i if you use MAIO. You can also get either an R4i Gold or a Supercard DSTWO (currently the best card on the market). Another reason to switch to one of these three flashcarts is that the Codemasters Project (CMP) cheat file doesn't support the M3 Real / M3i Zero, so you won't be able to use the latest cheat codes unless you know how to convert the CMP file into the M3 Real-compatible cheat.db format.

For what it's worth, thanks, M3 team. Your flashcart was awesome when you supported it, but now it's one of the worst flashcarts around.

NOTE: Before you ask a question, don't forget to check the M3 Sakura Guide. It answers all of the basic questions about the loader. Also, take a look at the M3 Sakura v1.12+a Archive. Although some of the information in the v1.12+a Archive is outdated, much of the information still applies. Between the Guide, the Archive and the FAQ below, you should be able to find the answer to almost 100% of the questions you might have.

Q: What is M3 Sakura?!A: It's a loader by the M3 team that was first released in Japan (as v1.00) on 30 May 2008. Its current form as we know it (from v1.35 on) was released outside of Asia on 21 March, 2009. The loader was developed by Infantile Paralysiser (a.k.a. "Moonlight," the creator of MoonShell) for the M3 team. The firmware loads on the M3 Sakura, M3 Real and M3i Zero flashcarts. The M3 Sakura flashcart (which is basically the Japanese version of the M3 Real flashcart with a different label) is not available for sale outside of Japan. As such, for our purposes "M3 Sakura" will refer to the M3 Sakura loader and not the flashcart. For an in-depth explanation of M3i Zero/M3 Sakura, check GBAtemp's official review.

Q: Why should I use M3 Sakura?A: M3 Sakura features a completely customizable GUI and employs a unique touch-and-slide navigation/control currently not found in any other flashcart. The controls are much more sensitive than M3 Real's original firmware (TouchPod), and overall much better-looking. M3 Sakura also has an integrated text viewer, image viewer, music player and video player, so there's no need to run a separate homebrew (e.g., MoonShell) to open various files. You can find more information on how M3 Sakura looks on the DS including videos here. Skyline969 has also done some comprehensive video reviews on M3 Sakura with an extensive commentary. His videos will give you a very good idea of what it is, but the firmware has seen some improvement since he made those videos. Skyline969 has a more up-to-date review of Sakura at his website, Skyline Reviews. Simply put, M3 Sakura is arguably one of the best firmwares available in terms of looks and functionality.

Q: My M3i Zero has a blue LED when I flash it, but I've seen pictures/videos online with a red LED. Is my unit defective? A: No, your flashcart is fine. The first batches of M3i0 flashcarts were made with red LEDs, and newer batches may be made with red or blue LEDs. The color should be of no concern.

Q: I downloaded the firmware from the official website but it's an MSI file. What do I do with it? A: It's an installer for the Sakura DSM Encoder. Go ahead and install it on your PC, then run the program. In the upper-right corner you'll see an option that says "Setup Sakura." Connect your MicroSD card to your computer, backup your important files, format the card and then click "Setup Sakura" to extract the SYSTEM folder to your card. Here's more info on the new Sakura DSM Encoder and v1.34 in general (in case you missed it the first time). If you don't want to bother with the Sakura DSM Encoder (or are unable to install it), just download the SYSTEM folder by itself in one of the links above.

Q: I bought my M3 Real in Japan. How do I get the English firmware to run on my cart? A: You can't. The official English firmware is for US and European M3 Real carts only. Fortunately there's an easy solution. Just download both the Japanese firmwareand the English firmware, take the "messages.000" file from the English firmware (SYSTEM\m3sakura\language\messages.000), rename it "messages.932," transplant it into the same folder in the Japanese firmware and overwrite the existing file. Grab an English skin from the M3 Sakura Skins section and you'll have a fully-English GUI. The added benefit is that the Japanese firmware supports both Japanese and English text, so you also get improved functionality!

Q: I tried to run Sakura and it booted into a black screen. How do I fix this? A: Hold down the A button when you turn on the DS to call up the dual-boot selection screen, and select Sakura again.

Q: Whenever I use cheats, soft-reset, or RTS, the game freezes. How can I fix this? A: These features don't work perfectly for all games. The same can be said of all flashcarts. If you're experiencing freezes, simply load the ROM without enabling cheats, soft-reset or RTS. Your best bet would be to wait for a firmware update and see if it fixes the problem.

Q: Do MoonShell 2 .skn files work in Sakura? Do Sakura .skn files work in MoonShell 2? A: No, and no. The skin formats are incompatible with each other.

Q: How do I encode DSM files? I keep getting an error whenever I try. A: The Sakura DSM Encoder can do a straight conversion from .FLV to .DSM, so if your source files are in .FLV format, just feed them into the DSM encoder. If you have a non-FLV video source file, try using SUPER to convert them to AVI first. Then use the DSM encoder to convert the AVI. If none of these tips work, try them again, but using the Japanese Sakura 1.34 DSM Encoder 1st Editioninstead of the 2nd Edition. For DPGs, the same procedure can be followed, just with DPGenc instead of Sakura DSM Encoder. You can also follow the directions on this guide.

Q: When loading GBA ROMs, is there any way to get them to display on the bottom screen? A: For some reason, this can only be done through the GBA ROM settings in TouchPod. This cannot be done in M3 Sakura; when playing GBA games they will always be displayed on the top screen.

Q: How is the homebrew compatibility? A: M3 Sakura was notoriously horrible with homebrew compatibility when the very first Japanese release was hacked to run on US/EUR M3 Real flashcarts; however, it seems that homebrew works much better now than on any of the previous hacked versions. Check the M3 Sakura Homebrew Compatibility List for a list of homebrew that does and does not work.

Q: Can I import my NDS .sav files from a DS emulator?A: Yes, you can import .sav files created on NO$GBA into the M3 Real/M3i Zero. Check here for more info.

Q: Does DSOrganize work in M3 Sakura? A: Yes, it does. One major grievance of M3 Sakura's poor homebrew quality in the past was that DSO didn't work. But there is now a workaround for that. Download this version of DSOrganize 3.1129, especially modified to run on M3 Sakura.

This FAQ is written in sections, and each section is written at different times as new information becomes available, so some sections may contain old/conflicting information. I will try my best to remove any discrepancies, but if you spot any that I have missed, please send me a PM. Also, if you have anything to contribute to the FAQ, if I have not given credit where it is due, or if you find any dead links, just let me know and I'll fix it.

WARNING!​

Do NOT buy the M3 Real or M3i Zero from the following links, they're fake/clones!​

The M3 Sakura v1.12+a Archive - I've taken the original M3 Sakura FAQ down from the front page and relocated it because much of the information on it no longer applies to current versions of M3 Sakura; however, some of it still does apply, so if you need any info from the original FAQ, it has been archived here.

Sakura Tools - This is the original tool pack that used to be bundled with Sakura before version 1.35. This tool pack includes a DPG video converter, an IPK album creator, a skin compiler as well as the default English skin source files, and a sound effects creator for the firmware. It is no longer bundled with current versions of Sakura, so this is the only place to get it.

M3 Sakura Homebrew Compatibility List (by Skyline969) - This is a compilation of the homebrew titles that have been verified to work (and not work) on Sakura 1.34 Beta. The list is an ongoing work in progress, and your help is needed to make the list as complete as possible. Go and post what homebrew you currently have on your card, which ones work in Sakura and which ones you need to boot into TouchPod to run!

Cheat Forum for NDS ROMs - The ultimate resource for the newest cheat codes for all NDS ROMs. Over 1000 ROMs are in the cheat database and more are added almost every day!

Cheat Forum for GBA ROMs - Get all the cheat codes for GBA ROMs here. Efforts are being made to translate the codes from the original Chinese into English, and the cheat files are updated periodically. This is the best place on the 'Net for GBA .cht file support!

M3 Real Review (by Sinkhead) - Since the M3 Sakura loader runs on the M3 Real flashcart, a lot of the technical specs of the flashcart (SDHC support, etc.) can be answered here.

M3 Real Guide (by tguellich) - The M3 Sakura FAQ is written under the assumption that the reader has some basic knowledge of the M3 Real flashcart. This comprehensive guide will get you up to speed on everything you need to know about it. It also wouldn't hurt to take a look at this if you're new to flashcarts altogether.

M3 Sakura Skins​

Skin Downloads

These skins were created using the M3 Sakura Skin Tool. See the Skin Resources section below for more information on skinning Sakura. Submitted skins will be linked here when they are 100% complete. If you make and complete a skin, send me a PM and I'll put it up here. Skins appear in the order they're submitted, with newest skins at the top. Got a favorite skin? Let the creator know about it here!

M3 Sakura Skin Pack - Includes all of the Sakura skins below, including the ones in other languages...in one convenient download package! Skins appearing above this link are not included and should be downloaded separately.

This section contains links and tools that are used to create skins, or enhance them with wallpapers.

NEW!M3 Skin Maker (by Stormwave) - This app not only allows you to preview and compile skins, but also to decompile existing skins into their source files. Includes support for Kaura.

M3 Sakura Skin Tool - This is a utility to create custom skins for Sakura. Use the included image source files as a reference to help you create your own skins. Manipulate them any way you want in your preferred image editing software (just don't change the pixel dimensions), and compile them using the skin tool.

M3 Sakura Wallpapers (by osckeitaro) - These are not skins, but rather wallpapers. To set them as the background for your GUI, place them on your MicroSD card, browse through them in M3 Sakura, open one that you like and press START.

Panasonic SD Card Formatter - An app specially designed to format SD (and MicroSD) cards. It is advised that you use this instead of formatting through Windows.

HDD Low Level Format Tool - If you ever have a corrupted MicroSD card that your PC won't recognize anymore, this little app can work miracles! Thanks to letsgo for finding this.

NDSTokyoTrim (by BrianTokyo) - A tool to safely trim your ROMs so that they take up less space on your MicroSD card. If you experience any problems after trimming a ROM, stick with the untrimmed ROM.

SUPER - The ultimate video converter. It converts from any video format into any other video format (including DPG), and it's free. The download link on the official SUPER homepage is rather elusive, so the setup file has been hosted at SuperUploader for your convenience.

BatchDPG (by i_Am_Ghost) - This is another option for converting videos into the proprietary DPG format supported by M3 Sakura. The link contains other links to tutorials, so check there for support.

I've found something that might need fixing (or perhaps someone can tell me how to get the right settings if possible)

Videos files always have the last 3 seconds cut off for me. I tested 3 different videos and the 3 seconds at the end just cuts off to the next one. This never happened on my R4 or DSTT

Click to expand...

Try this:

Press START and go to GUI Settings, then scroll all the way to the bottom and uncheck the box "Enable FastStart movie playback." On the Japanese user manual it says to uncheck this box if you experience unstable playback. Let me know if that works. I have no problems with movies but it might have something to do with my cards being Class 4 and Class 6.

Delete this question: Q: Why can't I run CheckDisk, ImageView, MoonShell, etc. on the translated firmware? Any other problems with the English firmware?
It is not needed to be honest and will only confuse. Credit mercenary69 for his translated skin(s) too please.

Main download link at the top in big letters if you can!
And most importantly... keep it up.

Bundle pack updated with latest skins and other stuff.

Also you might wanna add a question about the new "system restore" type save back-up, which is pretty damn smart.

Delete this question: Q: Why can't I run CheckDisk, ImageView, MoonShell, etc. on the translated firmware? Any other problems with the English firmware?
It is not needed to be honest and will only confuse. Credit mercenary69 for his translated skin(s) too please.

Main download link at the top in big letters if you can!
And most importantly... keep it up.

Bundle pack updated with latest skins and other stuff.

Also you might wanna add a question about the new "system restore" type save back-up, which is pretty damn smart.